been cutting too many calories, how to increase?

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megs4413
megs4413 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, for the last 6 weeks ish, I've been sticking between 900 and 1100 calories/day. I was doing this mostly because I joined a diet bet and I am super competitive. LOL

I've also added 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week and 3 times/week strength training. I'm not eating back any of those calories as of right now.

I'm reading that I probably need to increase my intake to avoid losing muscle. I'm trying to figure out how to add back in calories without packing on weight. I'm also trying to figure out where to land calorie wise. I lost 13lbs in 5 weeks at the intake I was at....I would like to continue to lose 2 lbs/week, so based on my results, it doesn't seem like I'm that far off. WDYT? I don't want to do any harm, but I have a goal in mind for a trip I'm taking in early January, so i also don't want to miss that. TIA!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Other than temporary weight gain from more food in your system (and perhaps some water weight if you eat more carbohydrates), you aren't going to "pack on weight" by eating at a reasonable deficit.

    You would only gain weight if you ate above what your body needed and if you're losing about 2.6 pounds a week, you're below that by a significant amount.

    What is your current weight?
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    Start from there, set your MFP to be the above weight loss, boom, eat however calories it says and eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    You are female from your profile, and I am guessing on the younger side. As you think about increasing calories (300-500 a day to start) think about nutrition. Dairy has both calcium and protein, both of which you are no doubt deficient in. Lean meat of any sort adds zinc and protein, and iron +/- depending on what it is. Also add a serving of leafy greens (negligible calories, awesome nutrition value) and a multivitamin to fill out deficiencies.
  • megs4413
    megs4413 Posts: 7 Member
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    I've got 35-45 to go and have lost 50 so far. I'm not so concerned with the actual ending # as I am with my body composition. I'll try going up to 1300 and see how that goes. I'm careful with my nutrition and am already supplementing, so I think I'm okay there (with maybe the exception of iron.) Thanks!
  • cryonic_273
    cryonic_273 Posts: 81 Member
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    You probably need to eat a couple of hundred calories a day.
    Eat more protein - this should help stop muscle loss.

    You can just keep eating what you are right now - and add a half pot of Skyr,fage,quark, cottage cheese ( all fat free varieties) - they are low calorie and high protein
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    cryonic_273 wrote: »
    You probably need to eat a couple of hundred calories a day.
    Eat more protein - this should help stop muscle loss.

    You can just keep eating what you are right now - and add a half pot of Skyr,fage,quark, cottage cheese ( all fat free varieties) - they are low calorie and high protein

    adding in full fat dairy would be more beneficial to OP

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